HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2006
7:01 PM, RAY SCHOOL MULTI-ROOM
DRAFT MINUTES - #2
MINUTES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UPON BOARD APPROVAL
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carter, Carpenter, Chamberlin, Fleischer, Pilchman; Administrators: Gersen, Aubin, Williams; 16 public; Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to Order – Chair Fleischer called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
John Chamberlin moved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of September 20, as submitted, the Retreat of October 10 with changes, and the nonpublic session of September 20. The motion passed unanimously. The change in the Retreat minutes was in item 4 Gile Tract.
3. Agenda Review
The Board Chair, in response to a request from a parent in the audience, suggested that special education funding be discussed earlier in the meeting.
4. Communications and Reports
a) Report of Chair
Chair Chip Fleischer announced that the next Board meeting was scheduled for November 15, 7:00 p.m. in the Ray School Multi-room.
b) Assistant Superintendent’s Report
Assistant Superintendent John Aubin reviewed the financial report from September 30. He gave an overview of the significant budget variances on the document and reported that although the tax rate was not finalized it was tentatively set at $11.46, which is well below the $12.01 he estimated at budget time. The lower tax rate is primarily the result of the failure of the teachers’ contract and of having $50 million in property value added to the tax base with the opening of new Dartmouth dormitories.
The Board discussed the accounting method used to pro-rate educational assistants’ time between regular education and special education given the cost overruns in those accounts. Mr. Aubin reported that the special education out-of-district placements anticipated during the time the budget was developed had not materialized, which will result in lower expenses in those tuition accounts and may not require the transfer of funds from the Special Education Reserve Fund as planned. Mr. Aubin emphasized that the Hanover School budget includes the extraordinary costs associated with special education at all grade levels, not just those students enrolled at the Ray School.
Discussion on Special Education Funding
The Board expressed an interest in learning more about the spending on the specific special education classifications, getting historical and comparative budget data, and receiving an overview of all the available funding sources (Medicaid, federal and state grants, etc.). They also sought information on the percentage of students requiring special education services at all grade levels. The Assistant Superintendent suggested that the special education expenses related to out-of-district placements be averaged for a five-year period and that the average from that calculation be used as the budget figure to cover special education expenses on an annual basis. If the actual costs exceeded that budget figure, the Board could draw funds from the reserve account to cover the over-run. If the costs were under that budget figure the unspent funds could be used to replenish or expand the special ed reserve. Mr. Aubin reported that the Board has invested $25,000 in the Special Ed Reserve Fund annually for many years, which has made this method feasible. He also suggested that the same algorithm could be used to budget sixth grade tuition, which can fluctuate wildly from year to year.
Dr. Gersen indicated that Interim Assistant to the Superintendent, Joanne Roberts, wants to clarify the special education expenditures and budget lines in the school district.
She hoped to develop a means of differentiating special ed costs from 504 costs using 2006-07 as a baseline for future. He noted that she gave a comprehensive presentation on Special Education at the recent Board Retreat, a presentation that will be aired on CATV and possibly made available to interested residents through the town library.
5. Communications and Reports
c) Committee & Liaison Reports
Kari Asmus reported that the Budget Committee met with two members of the Finance Committee to discuss sixth grade tuition, special education, and fiscal year 2009-10 when the district will lose the Dartmouth payments. Kari Asmus asked if any Board members plan to attend the Delegate Assembly scheduled for November 4 to represent Hanover and Dresden.
d) Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Gersen discussed a memo from the Dartmouth Real Estate Office that had projections of future pupil enrollment related to planned resident development. The Board expressed its gratitude for the information and encouraged other developers to provide such information to the town office in the future.
e) Principal’s Report
Principal Williams reported that the NECAP tests have taken a substantial amount of time at the Ray School. The school has integrated a food collection for the Haven into its curriculum in areas like math, writing, and nutrition. A walk to school program has been initiated in the hope that more students will walk to school regularly. He indicated that he discourages bicycling to school due to the lack of bike paths and safety reasons.
6. Business Requiring Discussion
Assistant Principal Hiring Process
The Board discussed the process of filling the assistant principal position. Bruce Williams indicated that he planned to establish an interim position from January to July and launch a broader search for the permanent replacement. The Board suggested different focuses for the interview process and discussed the need for the assistant principal to have skills such as teacher evaluation and community communication. The Board discussed whether the current position should be increased from .91 to a full FTE and encouraged the Principal to consider how the increase in time could be used. The Principal will revise the job description and the administration will continue to consider salary range and other potential expenses related to the position.
Fiscal Management
The Board reviewed the Dresden Board’s 1986 budget policy and a draft version of a policy for Hanover that included a budget calendar. The Board briefly discussed possible treatment of offsetting budget variances between major accounts. The Board felt a policy establishing a clear regular flow of budget information from the Administration to the Board was preferable to a policy that might interfere with the daily administration of the budget. The Board requested that the Budget Committee draft a proposal for the Board’s next meeting.
7. Business Requiring Action
The superintendent nominated B. Gilcrest as a .8 Special Education Specialist for the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year.
Larry Pilchman moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to elect B. Gilcrest as a .8 Special Education Specialist at track 4, step 14, salary $52,262, prorated for the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year. The motion passed unanimously.
6. Nonpublic Session
Nancy Carter moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to enter nonpublic session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3(l.) for discussion of a personnel matter. The motion passed unanimously. Following the motion, the roll call was conducted and the Board entered nonpublic session at 9:48 p.m.
7. Adjournment
John Chamberlinmoved and Kari Asmus seconded a motion to adjourn at 10:10 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.
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